Vo 1. 17, No. 8 
Page 2 
Examination of the linear correlation analysis of the number of squirrels 
killed per hunter trip from 1958 to 1972 with the number killed per trip the 
subsequent year indicated no significant or consistent correlation. Likewise, 
the total kill of squirrels within the seven weather regions from I 956 to 1972 
was not significantly or consistently related to the total kill the subsequent 
year. 
Like the squirrel census data (MWRL 17(7):1-2), the harvest data for Illinois 
squirrels appears to have little year-to-year consistency. The basic reason may 
be the reliance on hunter-kill reports for compiling harvest data. It may be more 
difficult to acquire reliable information from squirrel hunters than from hunters 
of other game species because (1) squirrel hunters kill large numbers of squirrels 
each year and tend to forget how many, where, and when kills were made, and (2) 
their memories may be less exact because squirrel seasons open much earlier than 
other seasons and as many as 5*5 months can elapse between an early August squirrel 
kill and the mid-January game questionnaire. 
Responses of Prairie Chickens to Habitat Manipulation R. L. Westemeier, 
0. R. Vance 
Grassland management on nest sanctuaries for prairie chickens is accomplished 
primarily by harvesting the seed from redtop and timothy grasses--long the substitute 
prairie in south-central Illinois. The customary sharing basis of 50:50 between 
landowner and tenant has significantly minimized management costs, as grassland not 
combined for seed must generally be rotary mowed at a cost of about $ 2.50 to $ 3*00 
per acre. Clipping by either combining or rotary mowing aids in weed and brush 
control, although the first method produces a more desirable stubble cover for 
nesting, brooding, and roosting prairie chickens. Custom combining of a crop such 
as redtop has now reached $ 12.00 per acre, and on state-owned sanctuaries farmers 
are assessed for taxes amounting to $5-00 or $6.00 per acre. These costs, plus 
those for handling and hauling of seed, must be considered in leasing agreements. 
The market price of redtop seed and the quality of individual fields of redtop are 
the main determiners of how much redtop acreage farmers are willing to harvest. 
The economic aspect was particularly good in 1973; as the market price reached 
$ 0-75 per lb in contrast to $ 0.52 per lb in 1972 and about $ 0.35 to $ 0.30 in 
previous years of this project. Per acre incomes exceeding $100.00 were common 
in I 973 . One farmer reported an income of over $1,400.00 from only 4.5 acres of 
redtop on his farm. 
The high market price in 1973 apparently resulted in an increased acreage and 
yield (through fertilizing) of redtop on private farmland in 1974; this factor, 
combined with a large carry-over of seed from J 973 caused the. price to drop from 
$0.60 per lb on 26 July to $0-30 per lb by 16 August in 1974. It was evident this 
year that perhaps every cow pasture and dewberry patch containing redtop was 
harvested for the seed in anticipation of a high market value. Thus, it is likely 
that the market price of redtop may drop further to perhaps $ 0.25 per lb or less 
in 1975* These economics pose difficulties for contemporary prairie chicken 
